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Obama the Repairman

Thursday 23 April 2009

by: Favilla's Chronicle  |  Les Echos

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The authors, writing as Favilla, applaud Obama's rejection of laissez-faire and a debt-fed economy and his promotion of education that prioritizes society's needs: "Ultimately, the overall program is inspired by the common sense of the repairman." (Photo: Getty Images)

    The main challenge that Obama has to meet is that of getting the United States' economy, and even, in a certain way, its society, working again. One was grateful to him for having so rapidly unstuck - with shots of billions of dollars - the jammed mechanism of finance and banking, at the risk of overdose and of the operators' return to their favorite practices. He has perceived the danger and is trying to counter it by undertaking the reform of several of the country's very principles of operation. He has just detailed that in a program statement that overturns a series of preconceived ideas that yesterday were presumed to explain America's dynamism, but which have, instead, broken it down.

    The first is the supposed virtue of laissez-faire. Denouncing as unsustainable "an economy in which 40 percent of the profits emanate from the financial sector," he gives notice for strict regulation of financial markets and the modalities of credit conferral. Highlighting the bitter failure of the health care system, he diagnoses that its "costly and inefficient character strangles the economy." So he notes the failure of a market driven essentially by insurance companies and medical corporations that guarantee profits, but ignore social imperatives. Tackling education and its "enormous backwardness," he introduced a second principle, corollary to the first, according to which the orientation of studies must take priorities for the common good (training of scientists and technicians) better into account. And he attacked the prevailing interests a bit more with his transition plan toward new energy sources. His detractors are beginning to call him a "socialist" because he dee ms that measures for the common good pertain to the duties of government. On that score, all of Europe would be socialist. Obama, who is said not to be very European, would thus be making America a bit more like Europe without admitting to it ...

    His third statement of principle borders on provocation for the gurus in fashion only yesterday: the president declares himself in favor of an economy "that is no longer fed by excessive debt" and in which savings recover their position. This rupture with the debt economy succeeds in overturning the certitudes born of prolonged periods of headlong escalation. Ultimately, the overall program is inspired by the common sense of the repairman. Implementing it in America means curing the country somewhat of its too-long-dominant ideology.

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    Translation: Truthout French Language Editor Leslie Thatcher.

  

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Comments

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Whenever I read about our

 Fri, 04/24/2009 - 23:25 — Eilish (not verified)
Whenever I read about our 'debt-ridden' and 'irresponsible' society, I recall the last two years when we had to charge basics for our kids who had prohibitive medical bills. I charged 8 months of living expenses for my son's family while he waited for VA benefits to kick in. Clothing, groceries, utilities, gas - anything that could be charged I had to do it. Recently I've had to charge certification costs for a son who has been out of work for over a year and unemployment benefits are gone. Our savings were the first to go in these situations. All we have left is retirement, and we could be in danger of defaulting on some of our debts if anything catastrophic occurs in our lives. Americans were forced into huge mortgages by banks that inflated housing prices. The banks ain't a hurtin', but Americans are going homeless in droves. And this was our fault exactly how? There are excesses, too many glitzy gadgets, fancy new cars & bigger houses out there to tempt us. It has been my experience, however, that a lot of debt was not taken on lightly, but rather as an absolute necessity to survive this economy.

You could have made the same

 Sat, 04/25/2009 - 04:03 — windskull (not verified)
You could have made the same statement by simply saying Alice Through The Looking Glass where left is right and time runs backward is being eased one side to the other by President Obama, in part so as to not shock things into complete lock down but also to slip the obstructionists through before they even notice their stubborn do nothing idealisms were in fact for nought!

Exactly what is wrong with

 Sat, 04/25/2009 - 19:29 — radline9 (not verified)
Exactly what is wrong with socialist Europe? From upper middle class to the very poor, our health care system is broken. People are going bankrupt from it, not getting tests they really need, spending their retirements on health care and getting a poorer quality of it than Europeans and Canadians, yet there are still people who want to call our right to health care socialist. I think most Americans would benefit greatly from a "socialist" health care system. Why is there something wrong with everybody chipping in to give health care to all Americans?

Isn't it a shame that only

 Sun, 04/26/2009 - 03:32 — Abbama (not verified)
Isn't it a shame that only Europeans can understand what our new President is doing?

Fact is that, polls show,

 Sun, 04/26/2009 - 13:12 — Ken Hall (not verified)
Fact is that, polls show, most citizens are for single payer healthcare and have been for decades. Unfortunately in the US legislation goes to the highest bidder, and the insurance and medical lobbyists have deeper pockets than the electorate. Campaign finance reform should be a priority. In England there are both time and monetary limits set on election campaigns.